Thar, No Thanks

Forest and Bird, Issue 302, 1 November 2001, Page 3

Thar, No Thanks

JOHN DYER

‘The Trouble With Thar’ called for this introduced species to be ‘progressively eradicated’. (Forest & Bird, August 2001.) However, Himalayan thar are listed by the World Conservation Union as ‘Vulnerable’ in the Red Data list. The Species Survival Commission defines ‘Vulnerable’ as ‘facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future. Dr Amjad Tahir Virk, Pakistan’s member of the Caprinae Specialist Group, tells me that, ‘I personally feel Himalayan thar are threatened throughout its entire (natural) range’. There are only two introduced populations in the world. The South African government is poised to exterminate their small herd despite India pleading with them to stop. New Zealand will soon be the only country in the world with a viable thar population. New Zealand is a signatory to

international biodiversity agreements. It would be illegal and immoral to destroy this last life-boat population. Everything, even thar, in moderation would seem to be the middle ground.

Forest and Bird wants to get rid of thar on public lands such as national parks because they are destroying OUR biodiversity. India, it seems, has a different conservation need.